I've Been Here all Along
by LiveLaughLoveFP
Summary: The one that they've been looking for has been there all along. Original Camp Rock gang! Please Review!
1. Nate

I was sitting next to Nate on the couch, listening to him rant about his newest ex-girlfriend. For weeks it had been "Alyssa this…Alyssa that…" and then she had been caught cheating on him. I only half listened, lost in my own thoughts. I really, really liked Nate. Ever since I met him at Camp Rock, I felt like there has been some connection between us. But he has never indicated that we could be any more than friends. I watched as he got together with girls that only liked him because he was Nate Grey. Not because of who he is. Each of these girls eventually broke his heart. The most common reason was because they 'couldn't handle the schedule'. This was a first though. Nate got up and began pacing back and forth in front of the couch.

First angry:

"How dare she!"  
"Does she not know who I am?"  
"I gave her a chance and she blew it!"  
"Does she not know how this will hurt my career?"  
"WHY?!"

Then sad:

"I really liked her."  
"I was willing to give her a chance but she didn't want it."  
"They can never see me for me."  
"It's like I'm a celebrity before I'm a real person."  
"Why does this always seem to happen?"  
"I never seem to find the right girl."

My heart went out to Nate as he sat down on the couch and put his head in his hands. Stuff like this is so hard for normal people; it must be twice as hard for celebrities. I scooted over and wrapped my arms around him. He rested his head on my shoulder and we stayed that way for a long time.

Nate sat up and gave me a huge hug. "Thank you. None of the others are willing to just listen to me like you do. You never judge me. This can't be easy to listen to. Thank you for…just being here."

I smiled back at him and felt my heart break a little as I responded "That's what friends are for."

Was it just me or did he look a little disappointed? The moment was lost as he leaned forward to hug me again. He whispered in my ear, raising goose bumps along my arms, "Then you're the most awesome best friend I have ever had."

I felt my heart shatter as he said 'best friend'. That's all I'll ever be to him. I sighed sadly as he walked away. _'When will you realize that the one you've been looking for has been here the whole time?'_ I thought sadly.

**A/N - I know whose POV this is but I'll let you have your own. Inspired by LittleRedOne's 'Addicted' and Taylor Swift's song 'You Belong with Me'**


	2. Shane

**A/N I know whose POV this is but I'll let you have your own. I own nothing. **

I walked into the Grey household late one afternoon and the first thing I heard was "SHANE!!" I raised my eyebrows; Nate must be pissed to yell that loud. I hurried up the stairs to find Nate and Jason pounding on one of the bathroom doors. Just as I reached the top, Jason started yelling, "Shane! If you don't come out, I swear that I'll break this door down!" This scared me, Jason never yells.

"What's going on?" I asked, running over. Nate ran his hand through his curls, "Shane locked himself in the bathroom 3 hours ago and we can't even get him to talk to us."

I nodded, "Do you want me to try? You guys look like you could take a break." I gestured towards Jason who was glaring at the closed door with a red face.

Nate gave me a hug, "Call us if you have any success. C'mon Jason." He left, followed by a muttering Jason.

I took a deep breath and knocked on the door. "Shane, please come out. Shane? We're worried Shane. Even Jason knew what was going on. He was yelling at you." The door remained resolutely closed. I tried a different tact. "Shane. Get. Out. Now." Surprising me, the door opened and a red-eyed, messy-haired Shane stalked past me. I trailed behind him as he walked down the hall towards his room. Finally, I got my voice back, "Shane, what's wrong?"

Swinging around towards me, he growled, "I came out didn't I? Now leave me alone!"

Undaunted, I pressed on, "Just talk to me Shane. Maybe I can help. Please?" Abruptly, he sat down with his back against the wall, put his head on his knees and started crying.

"She broke up with me, OK? Over the phone. Why? What did I do wrong?" he choked out. Pulling his phone out of his pocket, he threw it against the wall. I sat down next to him and felt him shaking. After a moment, I wrapped my arms around him.

I'd never told anyone but I absolutely loved Shane. I tried to keep it hidden because he never indicated that we were any more than friends. Still, _I_ wanted to be the girl that he was always going on about. _I_ wanted to be the girl that appeared next to him in all the photos. I wanted him to love _me. _None of those other girls deserved him; and he didn't deserve them. They dated him because he was Shane Grey, not because they liked him as a person.

I was brought back to Earth with a bump as Shane began talking again, "The tabloids always picture me as the perfect 'ladies man', but the truth is I'm just a loser who can't hold onto a girl." He sighed.

"You listen to me." I turned to face him. "God has a special girl out there waiting for you. You just haven't found her yet."

He smiled and gave me a kiss on the cheek, "Thanks for being here. Now all I've got to do is find my special girl."

I smiled back, _'You already found her Shane.'_ I thought. _'I've been here all along.'_


	3. Jason

Today was the first day of my first year at Camp Rock. I was so excited. All around me I could see friends reuniting after a year apart. Part of me wished that I could have brought my group of friends along with me, but I reminded myself of my goal to make new friends this summer. I was, as everyone tells me, a very talented singer but I don't believe them. Browne stepped up on stage, introduced himself and gave us a rousing pep talk. We all cheered and headed out to find our cabins. I made the necessary introductions with my cabin mates and decided to go explore the camp before meal time.

I was strolling along, enjoying the peace and quiet when a babble of excited voices reached me. In the middle of it was a voice that sounded both worried and stressed out. I hurried over to where the voices were coming from and saw an astonishing sight. The famous Jason Grey of Connect 3 was balanced on the edge of a rock jutting out over the lake. A large group of girls were pressing in on him screaming and asking for autographs. Jason looked utterly overwhelmed and I remembered that he was always a little 'out there' but sweet all the same. Seeing that Jason was reluctant to jump, I took a running leap past him and landed in the water. Jason looked over his shoulder and when I waved at him, jumped down beside me. The girls shrieked cowering away from the water and, after a few minutes, left.

Jason sighed with relief and gave me a brief hug as we tread water. "Thanks for saving me. I didn't want to jump and be drowned by them if they jumped after me. What's your name? Is it your first year here? What do you do? Sing? Dance? Play?" he rambled, not giving me a chance to answer any of his questions.

"Jason! Hush!" I told him, laughing as I swam over to the beach. "We'll talk after we get dried off. It's cold here for being the middle of summer."

"You know my name. Did I tell you? It's not fair that you know mine and I don't know yours," he said, looking confused.

"C'mon, Jason, I'll explain everything to you on the way back to the cabins," I said, starting to walk up the path. This was the beginning of my friendship with Jason.

As the weeks progressed, Jason and I became closer. We began calling and texting each other after lights out because we still had stuff to say. I could trust Jason with anything and we told each other everything.

One evening, Browne had just called the 'lights out' signal over the speakers when I received a call from Jason. At first I was confused; all I could hear was crying and some shouting in the background. "Jason?" I asked, worried. "Are you ok?'

"No!" came his answer. Before I could ask what was wrong, he burst out, "She broke up with me! And now Nate is mad because I kicked his guitar and Shane's mad because I threw my phone at him." I nodded with sympathy, knowing that he really loved his girlfriend of 5 months.

"Why don't we meet somewhere, Jase? We'll talk," I offered. After getting his agreement, I suggested that we go down to the rock where we first met.

A few minutes later, we had settled on the edge of the rock and were swinging our feet in the open space above the water. Jason was crying onto my shoulder as I patted his arm. After talking for a few minutes, he admitted, "People always treat me like I'm so young, but I'm not! I can't help acting this way. Whenever I need someone, they're never there for me."

I smiled sadly and promised, "I've always been here for you Jason. And I always will be if you need me. Now, I know something that will make you feel better." I whispered in his ear and he smiled in agreement. We stood up and backed away. We ran forward holding hands and jumped off the rock, our figures silhouetted in the moonlight.

**A/N I know this is a little different but it is the only way that I could make it work with the plot bunny. I'm doing the guys' perspectives next. Thanks for all your reviews! **


	4. Caitlyn

Caitlyn was always independent. She liked to do things her own way and didn't want people to fuss over her. However, I was one of the few people to realize that she still needed assurances like everyone else. So I started leaving notes for her. Just little things like:

"You look beautiful today" or even just a good night note taped to her pillow.

I tried to be close by when she found these notes so I could see them appreciated. She would pick up the note, read it and smile to herself. Everyone saw her as 'Mitchie's best friend'; I was the only one to see that she was special.

Caitlyn was having a hard day. She had gone to one of the red carpet events only to be mocked by the more popular girls there. They dissed her, calling her fat, untalented and that she had no business being there among the 'real stars'. She came home in tears. During the night, I snuck into her room and placed a note by her alarm, where I knew she would see it. It read 'You looked beautiful. They didn't know what they were talking about. You are amazing.'

Connect 3 had also attended the party and I overheard what they said. The expression on Caitlyn's face made me want to go up and hug her. I held back because I knew that Caitlyn wouldn't want anyone to see her at her worst. I promised my self that I would always make her feel special.

The notes continued through the rest of the year. On Valentines Day, I wrote her a song as well as a special note. On Christmas, I left a heart shaped locket along with my message. When I saw her next, she was wearing the locket but was fingering it with a worried expression.

A couple of months later, Caitlyn came up and asked if we could talk. I followed her as she sat down on the couch and stared at her lap.

"What is it?" I asked even though I already knew.

"Somebody keeps leaving me these notes, and I don't know who. I want to thank them because they helped me through a couple of hard times. I just wanna know who they are!" she admitted.

I nodded slowly, "If they haven't told you who they are, they probably don't want you to know just yet. Just wait, maybe you have to guess."

She stared at me. "Wow that was wise."

I shrugged, "Always the tone of surprise. I have been known to do that."

A couple of weeks later, Caitlyn came running up to me and jumped in my arms. In her hand she clutched the note I had written that morning. I just hugged her and waited for her to speak. Starting to cry, she showed me the note in her hand. It read 'The one you've been looking for has been here all along'. She looked up at me. "It's been you, all this time. How could I have not noticed?"

I smiled down at her, "You noticed now. That's all that is important." With the last word, I lowered my mouth onto hers for a gentle kiss.

**A/N All the Camp Rock gang live in the same apartment. I'm sorry that they all cry. I can't help it. I own nothing. Thanks for all your reviews. **


	5. Mitchie

It's hard when you love someone. It's even harder when they're in love with your brother.

I've always just been her friend. I was the first one she came crying to when my _brother_ (growl) broke up with her on the reason that 'it wasn't working'. I stood there beside her as she ventured back out into the dating world. All through it, she never saw me as more than a friend. The smiles and hugs were not meant as anything else.

The months passed and Mitchie was becoming more like the person she used to be. Then, disaster struck. Her first long-term boyfriend broke up with her.

It was the middle of the night when my doorbell rang. Confused, I slipped on a sweater and went to the door. I opened the door to see a red faced Mitchie who looked ready to kill. Being a little groggy, it took me a couple minutes to understand why she would be here. Finally, the light bulb went off over my head. "He broke up with you, didn't he?" I asked as I gave her a hug. She nodded into my shirt and I felt her shoulders shaking. I pulled her back and saw that she was laughing hysterically. _"Oh crap! What do I do?"_ I thought as I led her into my house and sat her down on the couch. She lay down on the couch with tears running down her face. I took one look and pretty much ran out of the room. I paced around my kitchen trying to think of something to do. About 5 minutes later, I peeked back into the room to see Mitchie sleeping peacefully on the couch. I gave up on thinking and called Caitlyn.

Her voice was sleepy as she answered, "What do you want? It's…3 o'clock in the morning."

I whispered back to her, "Mitchie's boyfriend broke up with her and she's here sleeping on my couch and I have no idea what to do."

She sighed, "Call me in the morning when she wakes up. I'll come and get her. She'll probably talk to me."

I let out the breath I'd been holding. "Thank you Caitlyn. I owe you for this."

"Mmhmmm. See you in the morning," she replied, almost asleep.

I put the phone down and went back to cover Mitchie with a blanket. She stirred but didn't wake. I headed upstairs in the hope of falling back asleep.

Morning came and I found Mitchie staring at the blank TV screen. I made a quick phone call to Caitlyn and went to see Mitchie. I sat down next to her and put my arm around her. She sighed and started talking.

"Why me? Every thing I touch goes bad. I want a guy that will appreciate me and stay by me for the rest of our lives. Why can't I find him?" I had no idea what to say.

Thankfully, Caitlyn took this moment to arrive. We managed to get Mitchie up and moving and into the car. As I watched them drive off, I reflected on what Mitchie said. _"You already found him, Mitch," _I thought. _"I've been here for you all along."_

**A/N **Sorry this took so long. I had writers block, then I was lazy, then Christmas came. But it's up now. Hope you all had a good Christmas and have a Happy New Year!


	6. Tess

Tess was lonely. Tess was fragile under the hard persona she portrayed. All she needed was a friend. I wanted to be that friend to her. Things aren't always as easy as they seem.

For one thing, Tess didn't want a friend. I tried everything; nothing worked. She allowed nothing to break her shell. But I didn't give up.

Then, slowly, she started to trust me. She wouldn't ridicule me in front of her friends. She listened to me when I spoke to her. She was actually _nice_. I was overjoyed. The trust was one step in the right direction. I worked harder than ever to move her further towards me.

Finally, painfully slowly, we became friends. She started to break out of her shell when she was around me. We exchanged phone numbers. I listened to her when she needed someone to rant to. We routinely met up for coffee on our way to our respective recording companies. The first time we had such fun with each other. As we left the coffee house, I told her grinning, "Hey isn't this easy?" She laughed along with me and we went on our way.

She began called for advice on 'guy troubles'. In return, I called her for advice on 'girl troubles'. Problem was, most of my girl troubles were about her. I had started to like her as more than a friend. I tried not to let her know but it came out anyway.

We had just return from a dinner out and were in the entrance hall of my house. I was helping Tess out of her coat and surprised my self by murmuring in her ear, "You look so beautiful". She turned to me with a hard look on her face. Tess grabbed my arm and towed me into my living room. She sat me down on the couch and said, "We have to talk." My heart sank; this couldn't be good.

Tess took a deep breath and began, "You like me. I like you too; maybe too much. I can't deal with this right now. I have too much going on in my life and I don't want to be side tracked with love." I watched her face as she explained it to me. The old Tess had returned for the first time since we became friends. I knew what she was saying, but I didn't want to believe it. "I love you and if you love me, then I'll wait. For as long as it takes," I told her confidently. My hope crumbled as she sprang to her feet and began pacing.

"NO!" she yelled at me. "That's not what I want! I want to be free, not tied down. I don't want future promises. Can't you see that?" Tess looked around wildly and ran to the front hall to grab her coat. I followed her, feeling like a wounded puppy. I watched as she grabbed her keys and drove off into the night.

Late that night, I called and left Tess a voicemail, even though I knew she would likely never listen to it. "Tess," I told her, "I'll always be here for you. Forever and always."

**A/N **What'd you think guys? Sorry it took so long. Stupid writers block. I own nothing that you recognize.


	7. Ella

I yawned and felt my eyelids drooping. My friends had dragged me to this karaoke thing-y and I was finding it incredibly boring. None of the singers had any talent and more than half of them were drunk. I wasn't about to risk singing and end up being chased for the rest of the night by paparazzi. Since the record deal, 'popular' was an understatement. I sighed and slammed my head down onto the table. My table companions glared at me as I sloshed their drinks but ignored me.

A couple of more singers went up, and I was ready to kill myself. I was contemplating ditching the gang and taking the bus home when a beautiful voice soared through the bar noise to reach me near the back of the room. It was like a breath of fresh air. Instantly, I started searching for the source of that beautiful voice. I was just getting up from my seat when the girl stopped singing and I lost her in the crowd. Finally giving up completely, I turned and left, not even hearing my friends' calls behind me. I was planning how to find that girl.

A couple of weeks passed, and the girl never came back to the bar. I was there everyday about the same time, but she never came back. Around the same time, our group acquired another member, a girl named Ella. She seemed pretty nice but I was too busy looking for my special girl to pay much attention to her.

Eventually, I became so depressed that I didn't even want to look for her anymore. I just drifted along, following what ever the person nearest me wanted to do. People became worried about me; my record company threatened to dump me. Finally, my friends decided to do something.

They took me back to the karaoke bar in hope of trying to bring me out of my shell. They sat me down at a table and took turns going up to sing. They ended up having so much fun that they forgot about me; except for Ella. She was the only one besides me who didn't sing. She stayed at the table and talked to me. Finally, near the end of the night, she stood up and whispered in my ear, "Listen." And I did. I really tried to focus and pay attention. Thankfully, that wasn't too hard once Ella began to sing. I was captured by her beautiful voice, the voice I had been looking for. Ella's voice was the voice inside my head.

Later that night, Ella and I ended up back at my apartment, talking. I told her about that night and she confessed to knowing that she was the one I was looking for. She had been too shy to admit it before. But once she saw how depressed I was, she knew that she needed to do something. I told Ella about how hard I'd been looking for her, never knowing that she was right in front of me. Ella giggled and leaned in closer to me, "You silly boy. You were looking for me but I've been here all along." I laughed along with her and looked down into her sparkling eyes. She sighed happily and leaned against my shoulder, turning to look up at me. I couldn't resist. I leaned down and kissed her.

**A/N Hey guys! Hope you enjoy this. Thanks to all who reviewed, especially LittleRedOne and suburbs. ** **I own nothing. **


	8. Peggy

Peggy was my dream girl from the first moment I saw her. Her shining black hair and bronze skin captured my imagination. However, it wasn't until years later that we were introduced.

It was one of the first days at Camp Rock and we were both headed over to the main buildings. I held the door open for her and she smiled as she thanked me. Browne looked the class over and began partnering us up for the first exercise. We were partnered up and hit it off immediately. She was funny, creative and had a great personality. We laughed, talked and generally disrupted the class but Browne didn't seem to care. It was the beginning a great friendship.

We promised to remain in touch after we left Camp Rock and we did. Once or twice a week, we would call each other or talk online. At first, the conversations were stilted, revolving around what had happened since the last time we spoke. I was disheartened by this. I wanted to be more than a friend, a best friend if a romantic relationship was not possible. Slowly, our relationship evolved. We went from being mere acquaintances to close friends. We offered advice and gave our respective opinions on life.

Then, disaster stuck (for me anyway). Peggy got her first boyfriend. I was the first to congratulate her even though my heart was breaking. I wished that lucky boy could've been me. When Peggy's boyfriend broke up with her, I was there to comfort her. When she told me the news, I felt such a flood of relief that she was mine again that I felt guilty. I asked myself how I could be happy when my best friend just got her heart broken. I didn't have to look far for the answer; I loved Peggy. I promised myself that I would always be there for Peggy even if she didn't feel the same way about me.

And so it continued for the next couple years. During the summer, we'd be together at Camp Rock and separate again at the end to go back to our normal lives. Our conversations continued and Peggy often teased me about my lack of a girlfriend. I simply told her that I had my heart set on one special girl. If she took the hint, she never commented on it. Peggy experienced the ups and downs of dating and I was always there for her as I promised myself. I had to be because I needed to feel close to my dream girl, even if it wasn't in the way I wanted. I hoped, but was never brave enough to ask if Peggy loved me too.

So I watched as Peggy smiled, flirted and dated all those other boys. I hoped and waited for that one day when she would look at me with those shining eyes, saying "Its you; you're the one I've been looking for," and I could respond "I've been here all along."

**A/N Sorry this took so long. I was lazy then I lost my motivation for this story. I promised my self that I would finish it and I did! For those of you that were reading 'Nervous', I will be updating it. I do not own Camp Rock and its characters. **


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